Bangkok, 25 March 2026: Following a strong increase in the number of introducing brokers joining the business over the past six months, Fintrix has announced plans to significantly expand its dedicated IB offering.Backed by a growing leadership presence across Southeast Asia, Fintrix is building momentum by delivering high-touch support, seamless withdrawals, and exclusive promotional opportunities for IBs, while continuing to invest in solutions designed to meet the expectations of today’s growth-focused partners.Rapid investment in dedicated IB infrastructureThe broker is actively building out a future-focused IB ecosystem that includes a broad range of professionally designed, conversion-optimised marketing assets, niche-specific promotions, personalised support, and an expanding global network of media relationships and SEO capabilities. Combined, these investments are designed to help IB partners grow in their local markets - and be rewarded for doing so.“IBs and affiliates have long been underserved by large, inefficient brokerages,” said Craig Oliver, Head of Marketing Operations at Fintrix. “We understand that IBs need promotions that resonate with their unique trader base, support that is commercially practical, and the confidence that rebates can be withdrawn quickly and reliably. Fintrix is committed to building a dedicated IB offering tailored to the needs of this audience.”Positive feedback from existing Fintrix IBsIBs and affiliates already working with Fintrix are beginning to see what sets the broker apart. Feedback from IBs suggests Fintrix is gaining attention for combining institutional-grade trading infrastructure with a more responsive, partnership-led service model. In particular, IBs have highlighted smooth withdrawals, strong local support, and access to practical, conversion-focused marketing materials as key reasons for choosing to work with the broker.The number of approved IBs has also risen by 45% since the brand launched, reflecting strong uptake and growing engagement across the network.Fintrix has continued to build momentum across its introducing broker channel, with rebates paid increasing by 1,419% between September and December 2025, followed by a further 81% increase between January and March 2026. Withdrawal performance that speaks for itselfIn an industry where speed, trust, and reliability matter, Fintrix is continuing to strengthen a fast rebate withdrawal experience that gives IBs greater confidence in the broker and makes it easier for them to run their own businesses.According to recent internal data, 55% of withdrawals are processed in under 15 minutes, while 72% are completed within one hour. This performance is supported by responsive service during business hours to help keep funds moving efficiently.As Fintrix’s client base continues to grow, this consistency in withdrawal performance reinforces one of the company’s core strengths and a key area of ongoing investment: helping IBs protect their reputation and keep their business moving by partnering with a broker built to deliver when it matters most.Upcoming Songkran promotion opportunity for interested IBsFintrix is increasing its focus on Thailand with an upcoming Songkran Water Festival promotion expected to appeal to IBs looking to partner with the broker in a more meaningful way.Introducing Brokers seeking early access to upcoming promotions, priority support, and co-branding opportunities, including participation in the Songkran Water Festival activation, are encouraged to contact marketing@fintrixmarkets.com to learn more about partnering with Fintrix.About FintrixFintrix is a global brokerage dedicated to delivering a superior trading experience for retail clients and the Introducing Brokers who serve them. With a growing footprint across Southeast Asia, a commitment to execution quality, and a platform built for stability and trust, Fintrix is emerging as a broker of choice for IBs and affiliates seeking more from their broker partnership.Media ContactFintrix Communicationsmedia@fintrixmarkets.comwww.fintrixmarkets.com This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Based on what we see across integrations and partner activity, capital is already moving as market structure evolves. And it seems like by the end of 2026, institutional investors will move quickly into digital assets as the market shifts toward greater regulation and more efficient capital use. In January 2026, the global ETP count climbed to 318 products, up from 312 in late 2025. Clearer regulations are encouraging more participation. With 65% of EU crypto businesses now MiCA compliant, the crypto market is becoming a more layered financial system. Because of this, institutions are relying more on infrastructure that supports efficient settlement and cross-border liquidity.The Shift Is ExecutionThe main issue here is not whether consumers are moving into crypto. Instead, the focus is on strict execution standards. Professional investors need deep liquidity, low slippage, strong custody solutions, solid compliance tools, and integration with prime brokers.As more institutions trade crypto, order books become deeper, and price discovery gets better. At the same time, counterparty risk goes down. Market operators like LMAX confirm that institutions want strong infrastructure for capital efficiency and secure, regulated trading. Institutions use smart order routing to reach deeper liquidity and improve trade execution.Where the Broker Stack BreaksDigital asset liquidity is spread across many separate exchanges.Top market participants want access to deep liquidity, but the broker stack struggles because the market is so fragmented. Unlike traditional markets, which have a few main venues, crypto lacks a single dominant platform for certain trading pairs or complex products.Because of this, providers have to connect with a wide range of liquidity sources in order to expand access to digital assets and deepen liquidity for institutional clients to manage the problem. Just recently, March 23, Nasdaq announced they are integrating Talos to manage collateral across fiat and crypto.But the real problem comes from the massive volume of fragmented endpoints. Connecting directly to all these markets is not practical, is technically complex, costs a lot, and does not scale well: not everyone is Talos, not everyone is Nasdaq on the market.Trading desks have to deal with separate legal agreements, disconnected compliance checks, different risk management systems, and locked-up collateral. On top of that, fragmented access to venues often means capital is split across several margin accounts on different exchanges.Rebuilding the Broker Function Through InfrastructureTo solve these problems, institutions are rebuilding the broker stack to free up trapped capital. Real market integration now depends on unified access to liquidity, collateral, execution, and settlement.Ripple Prime recently added Hyperliquid to offer on-chain derivatives within a prime brokerage setup. This setup allows cross-margining across digital assets, FX, fixed income, OTC swaps, and cleared derivatives. Deep DeFi exposure is managed within a single portfolio and risk system. Regulated market infrastructure is following this trend. For example, LMAX uses RLUSD as a main collateral asset to enable cross-collateralization and margin efficiencies across spot crypto, FX, gold, perpetual futures, and CFDs.As a result of these integrations, prime brokers now act as aggregators and risk managers, giving access to large exchange networks through one account. To get the best trade execution across different venues at once, algorithms use smart order routing.So now, digital asset infrastructure becomes a fully layered financial system, where trading, custody, credit, and settlement are closely linked. At the same time, fintech platforms are building liquidity networks, execution routing, compliance tools, and settlement systems directly into their main software.Infrastructure as a ServiceWhen we work with partners, we often hear the same question as they grow: should you build your own exchange infrastructure or use external execution layers? This is a real challenge that comes up when teams start to hit the limits of current integrations, whether in asset coverage, execution quality, or how quickly they can expand.Building from scratch might seem like a way to take back control, but it brings its own challenges. Connecting directly to different liquidity sources, managing routing, keeping up blockchain connections, and constant optimization all need dedicated teams and a lot of time. For most companies, this means slower market entry and money spent on infrastructure instead of improving the product.Meanwhile, the infrastructure market is growing up. What once meant putting together several separate systems is now coming together into integrated execution layers. These layers offer custody, connectivity, liquidity access, and settlement as one service.API-based models change things here. Instead of building everything in-house, platforms can tap into combined liquidity from different venues, advanced routing, and global markets through one integration layer. This makes it faster to launch, cuts down on operational work, and makes it easier for institutions to get started. Teams can then focus on distribution, user experience, and using capital more efficiently.If you want to see how this model works in real situations, including how routing, asset coverage, and execution are managed, you can find more details on the ChangeNOW API page.Competing vs ConnectingThe main goal for the market is strong structural connections. Commercial banks are still important. Digital infrastructure now means that fiat off-ramping happens much less often. Since capital, collateral, yield, and settlements can stay within crypto systems for longer, these assets rarely need to move through traditional clearing systems.This change shows a full convergence of infrastructure. Top institutions can now get deep decentralized liquidity while keeping strict centralized risk controls. As the technology supports more enterprise volume, the main challenge left is how fast it can be deployed. Crypto infrastructure is not replacing banks, but it does mean users need to rely on them less often. Capital can stay within crypto systems longer before moving to traditional ones.ConclusionThe next phase of crypto adoption is likely to sharpen the infrastructure question. As digital asset markets become more regulated and connected, the focus is shifting from just gaining access to improving execution quality, using capital efficiently, and speeding up deployment.Market participants don’t need to build everything themselves right away. Instead, they should figure out which parts of their systems slow things down, tie up resources, or could be handled by outside infrastructure. The industry is already heading this way, and long internal development cycles are getting harder to defend.That’s why it’s important to keep a close eye on this space. At ChangeNOW, we often see the same operational challenges where Web2 systems connect with Web3 infrastructure. As more examples come up, it’s getting easier to understand this boundary in theory, but it’s also becoming more complex in practice. We’ll keep sharing our experiences as the market evolves.BioYana MarYana oversees strategic business development at ChangeNOW, where she manages financial governance and operational efficiency. She applies her expertise in crypto finance and revenue infrastructure to drive sustainable growth through data based decision making. For over five years, she has also shared her industry insights and professional experience through the corporate blog. Her work focuses on expanding partnerships and optimizing monetization models while maintaining transparency in financial processes. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Gold is trading at $4,493 per ounce as of March 30, 2026, up $115 from the previous session but still roughly 20% below the all-time high of $5,595 set on January 29. The question of how high can gold go has rarely been more divisive. The yellow metal has shed more than $1,100 in two months, endured its worst weekly decline since March 2020, and yet every major Wall Street commodity desk has maintained or raised its year-end target. At the same time, Robert Kiyosaki, the author of "Rich Dad Poor Dad" with 2.4 million X followers, has issued his most extreme gold price prediction yet: $35,000 per ounce. The gap between that number and the institutional consensus tells you everything about the current market psychology.Follow me on X for real-time market analysis: @ChmielDkWhy Gold Dropped 20% From Its January Peak?The correction from $5,595 to below $4,100 at the worst point last Monday was driven by three converging forces, none of which changed the long-term structural picture for gold but all of which hit the market simultaneously.First, the Federal Reserve. The March FOMC dot plot trimmed 2026 rate cut projections from two to one, after February's producer price index came in at +0.7%, well above consensus. CME FedWatch now prices zero rate cuts for the remainder of 2026. Higher-for-longer rates raise the opportunity cost of holding gold, and the 10-year Treasury yield pushing to 4.40% created direct competition for safe-haven capital.Second, the US dollar. The Dollar Index climbed above 100.2, its highest since May 2025, as the Iran conflict paradoxically strengthened the greenback through safe-haven flows. A stronger dollar makes gold more expensive for buyers in non-dollar currencies, reducing global demand. Ben McMillan, Chief Investment Officer at IDX Advisors, described the longer-term backdrop on Yahoo Finance in January: "80 percent of all US dollars in existence have been printed since Covid. This is a structural tailwind behind gold, it's a fundamental repricing." That structural thesis has not changed, but the short-term monetary mechanics have swung against bullion.Third, the oil-inflation feedback loop. The partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent crude toward $84 per barrel. Normally, geopolitical conflict supports gold. This time, the oil spike reignited inflation fears, which in turn forced the Fed to stay hawkish, which pressured gold through the monetary channel. As I noted in my analysis of why gold was crashing last week, gold is being sold during an active conflict precisely because that conflict is making the Fed's job harder.Kiyosaki's $35,000 Gold Price Prediction: Context and CredibilityRobert Kiyosaki's March 16 post, which generated over 681,000 views on X, frames gold, silver, Bitcoin, and Ethereum as the ultimate beneficiaries of what he calls "the biggest bubble bust in history." His exact words: "I predict gold will hit $35,000 an ounce one year after the gold bubble goes pop." In the same post, he set $200 silver, $750,000 Bitcoin, and $95,000 Ethereum as post-crash targets.BIGGEST BUBBLE BUSTI do not know what pin, what event will pop the biggest bubbles in histor. What ever the event, the pin is near.It’s not IF. It’s WHEN.When the bubbles go bust I predict gold will hit $35,000 an ounce one year after the gold bubble goes pop..I predict…— Robert Kiyosaki (@theRealKiyosaki) March 16, 2026As the Finance Magnates coverage from March 17 established, Kiyosaki's forecast differs from institutional gold price predictions in one critical way: it requires a systemic financial collapse as the catalyst. His $35,000 target represents a roughly 680% increase from current prices, which would imply either a complete collapse in the US dollar or a hyperinflationary event. The broader collection of Kiyosaki's market calls shows a consistent pattern of predicting asset prices through the lens of fiat currency failure.For context, Kiyosaki's Bitcoin prediction of $1 million by 2035 follows the same logic, as does his $200 silver call. These are not traditional market forecasts. They are conditional predictions that depend on a specific macroeconomic scenario unfolding. Investors should evaluate them accordingly.How High Can Gold Go? XAU/USDT Technical AnalysisBased on my over 15 years of experience as an analyst and trader, the technical picture on gold has not changed materially despite the dramatic correction. Price action is consolidating in a narrow channel between clearly defined support and resistance.The $4,360 support level has been actively tested since the pin bar reversal from last Monday, when price briefly dropped to $4,100 intraday before recovering sharply. That pin bar, with its long lower wick rejecting the 200-day moving average near $4,200, was the kind of session-specific signal that only shows up when you are watching the chart in real time.[#highlighted-links#] Sellers exhausted themselves at exactly the right level. On the upside, local resistance sits at approximately $4,550, defined by the historical highs from late December 2025.My chart shows the following key levels:The January 28 session high at $5,430 remains the most important resistance level on the chart. Gold briefly traded at $5,600 the following day but failed to hold that price, which means $5,430 is the confirmed structural ceiling until a sustained close above it says otherwise. As established in my comprehensive gold price prediction analysis from February, the $4,550-$5,420 range defines the noise. What matters is which boundary breaks first.My directional bias is neutral at this price. The range between $4,360 and $4,550 is too narrow for a definitive call. A break above $4,550 opens the path toward the 50 EMA at $4,800 and then the psychological $5,000 level. A break below $4,360, and particularly below $4,000, would signal that the 20% correction has further to run. As I detailed in my analysis of gold's pin bar reversal from March 25, the structural supports that drove gold from $2,600 to $5,600 remain intact. The buyers who stepped in at $4,100-$4,200 last Monday confirmed that.This week brings two catalysts that could break the range: Fed Chair Powell speaks Monday, and US Nonfarm Payrolls are released Friday, April 3. A dovish surprise from Powell or a weak jobs print below 50,000 could trigger a move toward $4,800. A hawkish tone or strong employment data may push gold back toward $4,000.Gold Price Predictions 2026: From $4,450 to $10,000The range of institutional forecasts for how high gold can go in 2026 remains remarkably wide.Natasha Kaneva, Head of Global Commodities Strategy at J.P. Morgan, stated: "We expect gold demand to push prices toward $5,000 per ounce by year-end 2026." The bank's updated target of $6,300, published February 3, rests on projected central bank purchases of 800 tonnes in 2026. As the JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank gold forecast analysis from February detailed, Deutsche Bank's Michael Hsueh maintained his $6,000 target through the crash, calling the selloff "a tactical move" rather than a structural shift.Bart Melek, Managing Director and Head of Commodity Strategy at TD Securities, put it plainly after the correction: "Fundamentally, me and the team still like gold here." His base case targets a $5,000 quarterly average with a technical ceiling around $5,455.On the bear side, Nigel Green, CEO of the deVere Group, warned of material downside risks in February: "Gold remains one of the few unleveraged sovereign assets. For governments under political or financial strain, the temptation to liquidate reserves is real." HSBC and Standard Chartered have year-end targets at $4,450 and $4,488, respectively, both of which the market has already traded through during the recent lows.The Goldman Sachs gold price prediction analysis published in January placed the bank's year-end target at $5,400, citing private-sector diversification and central bank buying momentum. Goldman's Senior Commodities Analyst Lina Thomas noted "significant upside risk to the forecast."The Wall Street consensus clusters between $5,400 and $6,300 for year-end 2026, as the Fibonacci extension analysis targeting $7,300 from February established. The 20% correction has not changed any of the major banks' year-end targets. If anything, it has made those forecasts easier to maintain.FAQ, Gold Price AnalysisHow high can gold go in 2026?Institutional forecasts for 2026 range from $4,450 (HSBC) to $6,300 (JPMorgan). The Reuters poll median of 30 analysts sits at $4,746, the highest annual consensus on record. Extreme scenarios include Saxo Bank's $10,000 and Kiyosaki's $35,000, though both require specific tail-risk events to materialize. Gold is trading at $4,493 as of March 30, 2026.Why is Robert Kiyosaki predicting $35,000 gold?Kiyosaki's March 16 prediction of $35,000 gold is conditional on what he calls "the biggest bubble bust in history." He frames gold, silver, Bitcoin, and Ethereum as beneficiaries of a systemic financial collapse. His target represents a 680% increase from current prices and requires either dollar collapse or hyperinflation, placing it far outside the Wall Street consensus of $5,400-$6,300.What is the gold price today?Gold is trading at $4,493 per ounce as of March 30, 2026. This represents a roughly 20% decline from the all-time high of $5,595 set on January 29, 2026, but remains approximately 45% above March 2025 levels when gold was near $3,100.Will gold reach $5,000 again in 2026?Most institutional analysts expect gold to reclaim $5,000. JPMorgan's Natasha Kaneva projects prices pushing toward $5,000 by year-end. Key catalysts include potential Fed rate cuts, continued central bank buying projected at 585 tonnes per quarter, and ETF inflows estimated at 250 tonnes for the year. However, a hawkish Fed and stronger dollar remain headwinds.Is gold a good investment after a 20% correction?The 20% pullback from $5,595 to below $4,100 is the largest correction in the current bull cycle. Historically, corrections of this magnitude within secular bull markets have preceded new highs. Every major Wall Street bank has maintained its year-end target through the selloff. However, short-term risks remain, including the Fed's hawkish stance, rising Treasury yields, and Middle East-driven oil inflation. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

FP Markets Chief Technology Officer Alexander Strelnikov has stepped down from his role, according to a statement he shared on LinkedIn today(Monday).Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).Strelnikov wrote, “I am open to work and ready for the next challenge.”He served as CTO at FP Markets for about two years. He was based in Cyprus and worked on-site during his tenure.FP Markets CTO Steps Down After Two YearsBefore joining FP Markets, Strelnikov spent nearly 11 years at Spotware Systems in Limassol, holding several senior roles. His most recent position there was Head of Product Development for over two years. He worked on product architecture, coordinated cross-team development, analyzed product metrics, and handled vendor negotiations and industry events.At the same time, he spent over seven years as Senior Software Architect. He oversaw system architecture, guided development teams, designed APIs, and addressed performance and security issues.Strelnikov Worked in Product and ManagementHe also worked as Senior Product Manager for three and a half years. He managed product backlogs, defined system requirements, and led development processes across teams.Earlier, Strelnikov was Chief Executive Officer at BELARTA for over one and a half years. He oversaw strategic planning, regulatory engagement, and the setup of a forex and CFD business. He began his career at Forex Club International Ltd as a Project Manager for over a year.FP Markets Adds Data-Backed Trading ToolsFP Markets has also made changes to its platform. The broker integrated trading signals from xsee, a signal provider, giving clients direct access within their accounts. The signals are vetted, and users can review historical performance and risk metrics before applying them. FP Markets said the integration responds to retail demand for data-backed trading tools.The collaboration allows clients to automate signals and access a database of professional signals, providing additional resources to support trading decisions. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Wall Street analysts are outlining scenarios in which oil prices could reach $200 per barrel if geopolitical tensions escalate. Prediction markets, however, imply a relatively low probability of that outcome.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!) This gap highlights how different tools assess risk: analysts focus on scenario outcomes, while prediction markets assign probabilities to those scenarios. Analyst Forecasts Focus on Tail Risks Several research teams have outlined how oil prices could react to a disruption in global supply, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz. Most estimates point to a range of around $150 or higher if the disruption persists. The $200 level is generally described as an extreme outcome at the upper end of that scenario, rather than a base-case forecast. Macquarie analysts noted that prices could rise significantly under sustained disruption, while JPMorgan and Wood Mackenzie outlined similar ranges tied to supply constraints and demand response. These forecasts describe how the market could behave under stress, rather than assigning a probability to those outcomes.Markets Price a Lower Probability Prediction markets take a different approach by assigning probabilities to outcomes. On Polymarket, a contract for oil reaching $200 by July is trading at around 14 cents, implying a 14% probability. On Kalshi, a similar contract for year-end pricing implies roughly a 19% probability. In both cases, markets indicate that a price spike is possible but not the central expectation.14% chance oil hits $200 before July. https://t.co/nOdOJvbKGx— Polymarket (@Polymarket) March 29, 2026A Different Type of Signal For brokers and institutional investors, the divergence highlights how prediction markets can complement traditional analysis. They provide a probability-based signal that can be used alongside analyst forecasts, particularly in situations where outcomes depend on uncertain geopolitical developments. At the same time, these signals have limitations. Market pricing depends on participation, liquidity and positioning, which can affect how accurately probabilities reflect broader expectations. Using the Signal Prediction markets are better suited to assessing the likelihood of an event than estimating precise price levels during periods of stress. For market participants, the practical use is to compare scenario-based forecasts with probability-based pricing and adjust risk assumptions accordingly. This article was written by Tanya Chepkova at www.financemagnates.com.

Poland's retail FX and CFD market expanded at its fastest pace in years during 2025, with the total number of active participants climbing by roughly 50% to approximately 370,000, while aggregate losses across all clients reached a record 2.68 billion zlotys, according to data released by Poland's Financial Supervision Authority (KNF).Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)The annual report from the KNF, which covers the full range of OTC derivatives traded through supervised Polish brokerages, shows that the total value of losses last year was nearly four times the total value of profits generated by winning clients. The regulator counted 102,919 active clients who ended the year in profit, compared with 266,818 who recorded a net loss, placing the share of losing traders at more than 72%.The data builds on a pattern of rapid market expansion seen in previous years, when Poland's active trader count grew by 40% in 2024 alone, already making the country one of the most active retail derivatives markets in Europe.Polish Residents Bear 1.63B Zloty HitNarrowing the lens to Polish residents only, the data shows a somewhat more concentrated picture. KNF counted 186,372 active Polish residents in the market last year, up approximately 59% from the 116,903 recorded in 2024. Their combined losses totaled 1.63 billion zlotys, a 26% increase from the 1.29 billion zlotys recorded the previous year. Net profits generated by Polish winning traders reached 439.5 million zlotys, up 44% year-on-year, but still less than a third of what losing traders gave back to the market.“Compared with the previous year, the share of clients who recorded losses increased slightly,” the KNF commented in the report seen by FinanceMagnates.com. “At the same time, the average loss among losing clients declined, while the average profit of profitable clients rose. Overall, the average result of active clients remained negative, although the loss was smaller than in the previous year.”The average loss per losing Polish resident fell from 15,749 zlotys in 2024 to 12,162 zlotys in 2025, which the KNF data attributes partly to a wider base of newer, smaller-scale participants entering the market. Average winnings among profitable Polish traders also declined slightly, from 8,778 zlotys to 8,358 zlotys. The average net result across all active Polish resident clients stood at minus 6,373 zlotys for the year, an improvement from minus 8,442 zlotys in 2024."The numbers confirm what we've been seeing in the market for some time," said Marcin Wenus, the Chairman of the Invest Cuffs Foundation. "Poland is now unambiguously one of the largest retail derivatives markets in Europe, and the pace of new entrants is accelerating. But the persistently high share of losing traders, around 72% year after year, shows that participation and profitability are growing at very different speeds."Retail Clients Remain the Dominant ForceRetail participants accounted for 99.9% of all active clients on Polish-supervised platforms last year and represented 94% of the total nominal transaction value. The KNF noted that its analysis encompasses not just currency pairs but the full spectrum of OTC derivatives, including equity CFDs, commodity contracts, and index products traded via Polish-licensed brokerages.The explosive growth in total client numbers is consistent with broader trends in the Polish brokerage industry. XTB, the Warsaw-listed fintech and one of Poland's largest retail brokers, added 441,500 new Polish brokerage accounts in 2025, pushing Poland past 2.5 million total registered securities accounts for the first time. The company's Polish clients also traded 16 billion zlotys worth of securities on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in 2025, a 76% jump year-on-year.Loss-to-Profit Ratio Holds at Near 4-to-1Despite the year-on-year moderation in individual loss sizes, the overall market structure has changed little over the five-year window covered by the KNF report. Between 2021 and 2025, the share of active clients posting a loss has ranged from 70.6% to 79.1%, with 2025 sitting at 72.2%. The absolute scale of losses, however, has grown substantially. Total losses across all clients stood at 1.16 billion zlotys in 2021 and have more than doubled in four years to 2.68 billion zlotys in 2025.The competitive dynamics in the Polish brokerage market intensified over the past year, a development that may have contributed to the influx of new, less experienced traders. Germany's Trade Republic entered Poland in 2025, triggering a broader pricing war among established local brokers, which in turn lowered the cost of entry for retail participants.KNF Reiterates Risk WarningThe KNF has historically noted that OTC derivatives are high-risk products and should only be used by investors with the relevant knowledge, experience, and an explicit acceptance of the risk of losing all invested capital. The authority has been tracking this data for years, with the structural imbalance between losers and winners remaining a consistent feature of the retail derivatives landscape across all European markets.For now, Poland's retail trading community continues to grow faster than the pool of profitable participants within it. Whether the entry of new platforms, better investor education, or regulatory pressure can shift that ratio in the years ahead remains an open question. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Ahmad Said has a particular way of explaining what's wrong with most trading platforms. "Deployed in the cloud isn't the same as cloud-native," he told FinanceMagnates.com. "Most platforms in this space were adapted to the cloud. Helio was built from day one as active/active, multi-region infrastructure, no failover dependency, no single point of failure, and zero-downtime deployments as standard."Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)That distinction, between adaptation and original design, is the founding argument of Fintake, Said's Cyprus-based broker technology startup. The company launched Helio, its first cloud-native trading platform for CFD, OTC, and crypto brokers, this month. Competitors covered the announcement as a product launch. The more interesting story is what Said built it from.The 2 AM Architecture DecisionSaid spent four years at Pepperstone, where he joined as the first engineering hire in Cyprus and built a team of more than 20 engineers. The work included one of the first large-scale TradingView broker integrations, Pepperstone's proprietary trading platform, and its mobile app. By the time he left in 2024, he was Head of Engineering for the EMEA region. "I've spent years running high-volume trading systems, including one of the largest integrations with TradingView," he said. "I've seen where platforms break because I've been the one fixing them at 2 AM. Helio was built to make that call unnecessary."That operational experience shaped every architectural decision in Helio. Both of the platform's geographic regions run simultaneously, not in a primary/secondary configuration where one waits for the other to fail. Updates deploy mid-session, during live trading, without interruption. "Both regions are live simultaneously," Said said. When Said first announced Fintake at the end of 2024, he described the problem plainly: "Many brokers I know feel trapped in a 'marriage of inconvenience' with their providers, staying only because better options don't exist." Helio is his answer to that.Selling Resilience With the Power OffFintake's approach to sales is unusual. Rather than pointing brokers at uptime statistics or SLA documentation, Said shuts things down and lets prospects watch. "We provide contractual SLAs, but we don't rely on PDFs alone," he adderd. "We run live chaos testing, including killing availability zones and entire regions, to show brokers exactly how the platform behaves under stress, in real time. That includes deploying mid-session, during live trading, without interruption."The approach is partly commercial, partly regulatory. More than a year after DORA came into force, many brokers are still playing catch-up with the EU's Digital Operational Resilience Act, which requires firms to demonstrate, not just document, their ability to withstand ICT disruptions. Said says Helio was designed around that requirement from the start. "DORA is about proving resilience, not just documenting it," he said. "Helio gives brokers audit-ready visibility, built-in security, SSO, 2FA, and the ability to demonstrate how their platform performs under failure scenarios, not just claim it."A Crowded Market Moving in the Same DirectionThe trading platform market in 2026 remains dominated by MT5, cTrader, and DXtrade, with newer entrants pressing hard for share. Match-Trader reported a 290% increase in server clients since January 2024, reflecting the appetite among brokers for alternatives to the MetaQuotes ecosystem. DXtrade and cTrader have been competing aggressively on mobile and prop trading features, with both platforms releasing updates within days of each other earlier this year, while Devexperts has been building out a full prop-ready stack around DXtrade through third-party integrations.The scale of what Fintake is entering should not be understated. MT5 now runs on roughly 68% of global brokerages, having finally surpassed MT4 in trading volume in Q1 2025 after two decades of MT4 dominance. Alternative platforms, including cTrader, DXtrade, and Match-Trader, collectively grew their share to around 27% by Q1 2025, with Match-Trader alone reporting a 290% jump in server clients since January 2024.Said sees that movement as validation but thinks it stops short. "Connectivity and execution hubs are building trading platforms and APIs," he said publicly before the Helio launch. "Trading platform vendors are building their own liquidity hubs. Everyone is chasing more control, more agility, and fewer dependencies."His argument is that chasing control on top of adapted architecture still leaves the original fragility intact. The platform's API-first, front-end agnostic design means brokers can connect their own interfaces or use Helio's own, without being locked into a vendor front-end. With a growing share of CFD brokers now looking at multi-asset and futures pivots under pressure from regulators and US competition, Fintake enters the market at a point when brokers are actively questioning their existing infrastructure choices.Pricing competition is also intensifying at the entry level. Leverate recently moved to a free-to-start model for CFD brokerage technology, targeting firms hesitant about switching costs, a sign that even established vendors feel pressure to remove barriers for new or migrating clients.The Integration Nobody's Named YetOne of the more closely watched elements of Fintake's roadmap is an unannounced social trading partnership, currently in what Said described as final testing. "It's a major global ecosystem, designed to drive acquisition and engagement for brokers on the platform," he said. "The integration is deep and native, not a widget layer. Currently in final testing phases." He confirmed Fintake will name the partner within weeks. TradingView has become the most sought-after front-end integration in the sector, with brokers of all sizes racing to connect their back-end infrastructure to TradingView's charting and social layer, though Fintake did not confirm whether its unnamed partner is TradingView.The platform's broader roadmap includes crypto spot trading, on-chain liquidity access, and updated web and mobile interfaces, all built as native extensions of the multi-asset framework rather than separate product lines.On traction, Said kept it brief. "We're currently in pilot with a small number of brokers and will share more detail soon," he said, declining to name any of the firms involved. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

With the cTrader Store Affiliate Programme, Spotware introduces a new approach to affiliate marketing. Partners can now benefit from two revenue streams instead of one and expand conversion opportunities beyond broker signups, while keeping traffic aligned with their existing setup. In this model, the cTrader Store complements the IB structure – it doesn’t replace it.Two revenue streams instead of oneNothing in the current IB structure changes – the programme just builds on it. Partners earn through two independent revenue streams: IB commissions from brokers and affiliate commissions from cTrader Store product sales, with rates of up to 20% per sale. The strength of the model lies in how these two streams work together, widening the earning scope without altering the foundation of the IB model.The model is designed to keep established broker relationships intact. Partners already working with one or more cTrader brokers can carry their referral setup through into the Store experience – traffic stays connected to their own broker links, not redirected into a generic flow.On selected product pages, IB links can appear within the Recommended Brokers section, so when broker interest arises alongside product discovery, it stays tied to the partner. The Brokers section can be tailored around a partner's existing framework, whether that covers a single broker or several. The Store experience, in both cases, reflects the partner's own referral structure.The same logic applies after a product is installed. Whether the product is free or paid, the Open button directs the trader to the partner's broker, maintaining the IB attribution at every stage.In practice, a partner adds their IB links once in their account, and those links carry through across the Store. The brokers a trader sees – whether on a product page, in the Broker section, or via the Open button after a product is installed – are the ones that partner already works with. If the trader buys the product, the partner earns an affiliate commission from the Store. If the same trader signs up with one of those brokers, the partner earns an IB commission from the broker as usual. Both can happen from the same visit.Creating additional points of engagementcTrader Store extends the conversion potential of an existing broker-IB programme by opening up additional monetisation opportunities alongside the broker signup. Partners can promote trading products, tools and applications that reflect a trader’s interests or approach to the market. This means the same audience can create value at different stages – from opening an account with a broker to later engaging with products in cTrader Store, or the reverse, in cases where a product catches a trader's attention first and broker interest follows. The promotion toolkitThe programme comes with a full set of resources covering different content formats and audience types. At the centre are flexible referral links generated through Impact.com. Partners can create as many as needed and point them to any page within the cTrader Store – individual products, seller profiles, full storefronts or curated collections. This makes it easy to match links to specific content and track clicks and earnings in one place.Beyond links, a range of ready-to-use landing pages covers the main use cases: product-focused pages, creator profiles and broader category views. A banner library spans key segments – trading bots, indicators, risk management tools and interactive widgets for partners looking to work with more engaging content formats.Taken together, these resources support both broker and product promotion across whatever content a partner is already producing. Powered by Impact.comAll affiliate activity runs through Impact.com, a widely recognised partnership management platform. Tracking, attribution and payouts are handled through a single established system. Brokers and partners can monitor performance directly, with full visibility over how commissions are recorded and paid out.Aleksey Kozlov, cTrader Store General Manager, said: "We weren't looking to change the IB model – we were looking to extend it. Partners already have the broker setup. What cTrader Store adds is a product layer that fits into that same journey – more reasons to engage, more points to convert and a second revenue stream running alongside the IB commissions they already earn.”About cTradercTrader is a premium trading platform launched in 2010, built on Traders First™ principles, serving over 11 million traders of all experience levels as well as 300+ brokers and prop firms. With advanced native charting, built-in social trading and free cloud execution for trading bots, cTrader delivers an excellent trading experience with best-in-class trader support. cTrader Store is a central hub for traders, offering thousands of bots, indicators, copy strategies, prop challenges and plugins. For brokers and prop firms, cTrader Store increases visibility among prospective traders through dedicated Brokers, Props and Prop Challenges sections, driving up to 10,000 daily visits. As an Open Trading Platform™, cTrader supports brokers and prop firms with 100+ third-party integrations via APIs and plugins. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

“Resilience” remained the keyword with Dubai-based financial services companies even after the city endured three weeks of bombings by Iran. Month into the war, Almost a dozen companies in the space told Finance Magnates that their day-to-day operations were not disrupted in the ongoing conflict.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)“Businesses Operating as Usual”“At Saxo, our operating model is built around resilience, digital continuity, and multi-jurisdictional redundancy,” said Damian Hitchen, Regional Head of APAC and MENA at Saxo Bank, “so the current environment has not disrupted our ability to serve clients or markets.”Axi’s MENA Regional Head, Rabi Al Yassin, also stressed that “daily life across the country remains steady, with businesses operating as usual and no material disruption across key sectors. This reflects the UAE’s strong economic fundamentals and well-established regulatory environment.”However, the city's resilience did not come overnight. It has been a collective effort by the government and the business community.“What has stood out through this period is Dubai's ability to maintain momentum,” said Zack Hashemi, Leverate’s Regional Manager in the UAE.“There is a steady confidence across the business community here that speaks to the strength of this city. The fintech sector in Dubai is built on solid foundations, and that shows in how companies have responded.”The UAE, particularly Dubai, has attracted dozens of contracts for differences (CFDs) brokers over the years due to its clear regulations and business-friendly environment. Although foreign firms initially preferred to establish their Dubai base within the DIFC, many have, over the past few years, begun entering the mainland by obtaining local licences.Read more: XTB MENA Chief Says Dubai Bet Survived Its First Real Stress TestAnother reason they set up shop in Dubai is its security.However, was this security factor just an illusion that was broken by the war with the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other? It does not appear so.US military installations around Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been targets of Iranian missiles since day one of the war. Several drones and missiles, despite the majority being intercepted, landed in civilian infrastructure. Debris from intercepted missiles and drones also landed near the DIFC and the central Dubai area.“Periods of uncertainty tend to reveal what really matters,” said Sharaz Hussain, Senior Executive Officer, IG UAE. “For us at IG, that’s been the strength of our people, our culture, and the trust of our clients. We’ve focused on maintaining stability not just operationally, but culturally, ensuring our teams stay supported, informed, and connected.”“On the client side, expectations rise in moments like these. We’re seeing greater demand for transparency, disciplined risk management, and timely insight, and that’s exactly where we’re focused, through real-time engagement and robust platforms.”“Offices, Especially in Areas Like DIFC, Are Still Open and Active”The COVID-19 disruption in 2020 also prepared the brokers for the current situation. All the companies Finance Magnates spoke with are either working remotely or have a hybrid setup, with critical employees visiting the office.“Some employees are working from home during periods of higher uncertainty, but offices, especially in areas like DIFC, are still open and active,” said Vijay Valecha, CIO at Century Financial. “Companies are using the systems they built during COVID, which allows them to quickly switch between remote and office work.”“From an operational standpoint, it is largely business as usual,” said Daniel Takieddine, Sky Links Capital Group’s co-founder and CEO. “Teams are functioning efficiently under a hybrid approach that ensures continuity while maintaining productivity.”“Day-to-day activity has, if anything, become more dynamic.”Capital.com, which has the UAE as one of its top markets now in terms of trading volume, is operating on a fully remote basis, although all of its services remain fully operational."At the onset of the escalation, we moved immediately to remote working and introduced a daily check-in process to confirm colleagues’ safety and well-being," said Tarik Chebib, Capital.com's Middle East CEO. "We established a dedicated risk and emergency management team, which meets daily to assess developments and provide recommendations to senior management. We also ensured operational continuity by arranging equipment for new joiners and colleagues who required it to work remotely without disruption."Read more: CFD Brokers Flock to Dubai, but Few Go All In“Client Activity Has Increased”Although geopolitical conflicts disrupt most industries, retail trading brokers are the ones who benefit from them. The market volatility caused by these clashes encourages traders to ramp up their activity to profit from the swings. This means brokers, who make money through spreads and commissions, earn more.Almost all the brokers Finance Magnates approached confirmed the increased trading volume on their platforms.“Client activity has increased in this environment,” said Valecha. “Investors are more engaged and are looking for guidance, hedging strategies, and new opportunities.”Day 2 at iFX EXPO Asia 2025 is in full swing.Packed halls, strong connections, and real business taking shape.Innovation, collaboration, and opportunity all under one roof in Hong Kong.#iFXEXPO #iFXEXPOAsia2025 #OnlineTrading #Fintech #Brokerage #Networking #HongKong pic.twitter.com/ydLdJWm1Kb— iFX EXPO (@iFXEXPO) October 28, 2025Another broker to confirm the increased client trading activity is MH Markets, as its MENA CEO, Chokri Houimli, said: “While the current situation brings its share of uncertainty, it also fuels an abundance of trading opportunities and risks, and a surge in market participation and client activity.”Konstantinos Chrysikos, Head of Customer Relationship Management at Kudotrade, added: “Elevated uncertainty has placed a premium on risk management, and we have responded with a strong focus on stability and execution. Our clients are becoming more selective investors and traders; they are more risk-aware and increasingly focused on capital preservation alongside capitalising on opportunities.”FXEM also confirmed that the increased demand for market exposure, risk management tools, and faster execution is required amid the opportunities and risks generated by the current volatility.“We similarly remain forward-looking as the local market remains promising over the long term, while there is no doubt that the country will continue to surprise in terms of initiatives, reforms, and innovation for our sector and for the economy at large,” added FXEM’s Market Research & Fintech Strategy Manager Abdelaziz Albogdady.All the executives also unanimously agree on the future opportunities in Dubai despite the recent setback.“While this is a significant challenge for everyone, we strive to improve and grow stronger with every obstacle, and this is also made possible by the structural strengths of the UAE,” Houimli added. “Its regulatory clarity, digital strength, and overall resilience continue to provide a solid foundation for fintech firms to operate efficiently. In this regard, the long-term outlook remains positive due to the strong positioning of the country.”Leverate’s Hashemi also added that the company sees “real opportunity; the talent, the infrastructure, and the drive to grow are very much present.”The IG executive believes that “this period will leave us stronger”, adding: “It’s reinforcing our infrastructure, deepening client relationships, and positioning us well for growth in the UAE, a market that continues to benefit from strong regulation, world-class infrastructure, and a highly supportive business environment.” This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

$1.35 per token. That is where XRP sits on Monday, March 30, 2026, after the most anticipated regulatory event in the token's history delivered no breakout. The SEC's March 27 final deadline for spot XRP ETF applications from Grayscale, 21Shares, Bitwise, Canary Capital, WisdomTree, and Franklin Templeton came and went while the broader crypto market sold off, with Bitcoin dropping below $66,000 and a $14.16 billion quarterly options expiry on Deribit amplifying the pressure. XRP is now down 63% from its July 2025 cycle high of $3.65 and has spent the entire first quarter of 2026 grinding lower. The XRP price prediction for the rest of 2026 hinges on whether the CLARITY Act can deliver what the commodity classification alone could not: real institutional capital.Follow me on X for real-time market analysis: @ChmielDkCommodity Status, ETF Flows, and Why XRP Still Can't RallyThe regulatory picture has never been cleaner for XRP, and the price has never cared less. On March 17, the SEC and CFTC jointly classified XRP as a digital commodity alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum in a binding 68-page interpretive release covering 16 crypto assets. That ruling ended over four years of legal uncertainty dating back to the original SEC lawsuit against Ripple in December 2020.Yet XRP spiked to $1.60 on the news and immediately gave it all back. The Federal Reserve's hawkish hold at its March meeting, projecting only one rate cut in 2026 with oil prices above $90 per barrel, killed the momentum within hours. As I detailed in my March 18 analysis of XRP's surge and the price prediction for 2026, the resulting bearish pin bar at $1.60 was one of the cleaner rejection signals I have seen on this chart all year.The ETF infrastructure tells the same story. Seven spot XRP ETFs have absorbed $1.44 billion in cumulative inflows since November 2025, but 84% of those flows are retail money. Goldman Sachs emerged as the largest institutional XRP ETF holder with a $153.8 million position spread across four funds, according to Q4 2025 13F filings, larger than the next 29 institutional holders combined. But weekly inflows dropped from $43 million in early January to under $2 million by early March, according to 24/7 Wall St. The commodity classification removed the barrier to institutional entry. It did not create the buying itself."XRP is currently trading around $1.42 and shows strong potential for significant growth in the coming years," said Andri Fauzan Adziima, Research Lead at Bitrue. "We're now forecasting prices between $2.25 and $2.50 by the end of 2026, driven by increasing institutional adoption, ETF inflows, and regulatory clarity."The frustration is visible across the XRP community. On X, @XRPcryptowolf posted on March 29 to his 6,667 viewers: "$XRP holders are boycotting Coinbase for suppressing the Clarity Act. Serves them right for preventing the bull run from coming back since the Clarity Act would have opened the floodgates."$XRP holders are boycotting Coinbase for suppressing the Clarity Act. Serves them right for preventing the bull run from coming back since the Clarity Act would have opened the floodgates ?— XRPcryptowolf (@XRPcryptowolf) March 29, 2026The CLARITY Act remains the next binary catalyst. Senator Cynthia Lummis confirmed the Senate Banking Committee is targeting a markup in late April, while Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse puts the odds of passage at 80%. Galaxy Digital warned that if the bill does not clear committee by end of April, it is likely dead for 2026.XRP Price Prediction: XRP/USDT Technical AnalysisAs shown on my chart, the technical picture on XRP has not changed materially since early February. The token remains trapped in a consolidation at the lowest levels since late 2024, and Monday's price of $1.35 sits squarely in the middle of the range.Support runs between $1.26, my primary level, and extends upward to the $1.30 area. This zone overlaps precisely with the November-December 2024 lows and the February 2026 bottoms. As I identified in my earlier analysis targeting $1.25, these levels represent a structural floor that, if broken, opens significant downside.Resistance sits in a narrow six-cent band between $1.51 and $1.57. This zone has been tested twice since the consolidation began, with the most notable rejection occurring on March 18 when XRP briefly hit $1.60 before sellers overwhelmed the move. The 50 EMA now runs directly through this resistance zone, adding another layer of overhead supply.Based on my over 15 years of experience as an analyst and trader, XRP needs to clear the $1.80 level, which corresponds to the December lows, before I would consider the bearish pressure eased. A move above $2.00 and the 200 EMA at $1.89 would be the first genuine structural shift. Until then, the path of least resistance remains sideways to lower.My bear-case Fibonacci extension, measured from the July-October 2025 decline and subsequent correction, targets $0.53. That level represents a decline of over 60% from current prices and overlaps with the 2024 lows. As I laid out in my three downside targets analysis from January, this remains an extreme scenario, but one that is technically valid if macro conditions deteriorate further and Bitcoin breaks below $60,000.How High Can XRP Go? Analyst XRP Price Predictions for 2026The range of XRP price predictions for 2026 spans from under $1 to $315, reflecting how divided the market remains on whether Ripple's token can convert regulatory wins into actual price appreciation.Bitrue Research Labs released two comprehensive reports on March 27 analyzing XRP's ecosystem developments. Adam O'Neill, Chief Marketing Officer at Bitrue, framed the complexity: "The web of assets operating on the XRP Ledger encompass a complex ecosystem of interrelated functions, ranging from stablecoins to community value projects. Only through a deep understanding of this network can the price potential of XRP be fully understood." The exchange's research division arrived at a $2.25-$2.50 year-end target.Standard Chartered's Geoffrey Kendrick, global head of digital assets research, provides a split forecast. With the CLARITY Act passing and ETF inflows accelerating to $10 billion, he targets $8.00. Without the legislation, the bank's target drops to $2.80, a level that still implies over 100% upside from current prices but reflects the structural limitation of regulatory clarity without legislative permanence. As my December 2025 analysis of Standard Chartered's $8 target examined, the $8 scenario requires approximately 4-5 billion tokens to be absorbed by ETFs at average prices around $2.20.On X, community analyst @Maxi_Dec2020 posted a far more aggressive XRP price prediction to 12,900 viewers on March 29: "March structure for #XRP: $3.60, $2.78, $28, $12. Then consolidation for several months before next move up." Such targets would require a market capitalization exceeding $1.7 trillion at the $28 level, roughly comparable to Apple's current valuation.March structure for #XRP:$3.60$2.78$28$12Then consolidation for several months before next move up. pic.twitter.com/nsfbFHZxno— Maxi (@Maxi_Dec2020) March 29, 2026As the Finance Magnates analysis of the $315 XRP price prediction established in early March, the ultra-bullish scenarios depend on the tokenization thesis translating into actual settlement volume on the XRP Ledger. Meanwhile, my January reporting on XRP's 25% first-week rally already warned that technical analysis suggested a test of $1.25 support before any sustained gains could materialize. That warning has played out.The consensus range across institutional forecasts sits between $2.50 and $5.00 for 2026 if conditions cooperate. The problem is that conditions are not cooperating. Oil above $90, no Fed cuts, and Bitcoin dominance near 60% draining altcoin liquidity all work against XRP regardless of how clean the regulatory picture looks.FAQWhat is the XRP price prediction for 2026? XRP price predictions for 2026 range from $0.53 in an extreme bearish scenario to $8.00 in Standard Chartered's bull case. Bitrue Research Labs forecasts $2.25-$2.50 by year-end based on ETF adoption and regulatory clarity. The token trades at $1.35 as of March 30, 2026, down 63% from its $3.65 cycle high.How high can XRP go in 2026? The most credible institutional bull target is $8.00 from Standard Chartered, contingent on the CLARITY Act passing Congress and XRP ETF inflows reaching $10 billion. Without legislative action, the bank's target drops to $2.80. Community analysts have posted targets as high as $28, though such levels would require a market cap exceeding $1.7 trillion.Why is XRP going down today? XRP's decline reflects broader crypto market weakness driven by the Fed's hawkish stance, oil prices above $90, and a massive $14.16 billion options expiry on March 27 that triggered selling across all major crypto assets. Despite the SEC classifying XRP as a digital commodity on March 17, the XRP price prediction outlook remains weighed down by macro headwinds.Is XRP a good investment in 2026? XRP's regulatory position improved significantly with the SEC/CFTC commodity classification and seven live spot ETFs holding $1.44 billion. However, 84% of ETF flows remain retail, weekly inflows dropped to under $2 million by March, and the token is down 63% year-to-date. The CLARITY Act's passage in April remains the key catalyst that could shift the institutional dynamic. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Most CFD brokers have never heard of Para. That, according to the company's founder and CEO Nitya Subramanian, is exactly the point, and exactly why they should be paying attention.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Para powers embedded wallets for over 10 million users across MetaMask and the Ethereum Foundation, and in February 2026 launched a REST API that lets regulated financial platforms bolt blockchain wallet functionality onto their existing products without changing their interface or asking clients to learn anything new. Subramanian sat down with FinanceMagnates.com to make the case that the wallet layer is no longer a crypto industry concern, it is a retail brokerage one. The window for CFD brokers to treat onchain assets as optional is closing faster than most of them realize, and why she believes the industry's most-repeated objection, "our clients won't understand it," has already expired.Stablecoins Pulled Brokers Toward the Wallet LayerSubramanian traces the shift in Para's typical client profile to a broader change in how financial institutions now view stablecoins, tokenized assets, and onchain payments. "What's changed is that stablecoins, tokenized assets, and onchain payments have moved from experimental use-cases to core financial workflows," she said. "In the last year, a broader set of financial players has become aware of the need for digital asset infrastructure."The logic, as she describes it, runs directly through control. A financial institution can build its own blockchain, but if it wants to dictate how and when transactions happen, and who is executing them, it needs ownership of the wallet layer. "Once key players started to learn that, the retail brokerage story became a wallet infrastructure story," Subramanian said. "We knew this was on the horizon; we've been building for it for years."The conversation arrives as traditional brokers face mounting pressure from crypto-native platforms pushing into equities. FinanceMagnates.com has previously reported on how tokenized stocks are building a parallel 24/7 market for equities, a trend that is narrowing the product gap between retail CFD brokers and crypto exchanges.The Invisible Wallet and Who Owns the ClientPara's model is built around the premise that wallets work best when users do not know they are there. Subramanian reaches for a payments analogy to explain why this matters for brokers. "When you tap a card, you don't think of 'Visa'. You think about the assets and goods you're exchanging, possibly the card you're using, and the relationship you have built with the merchant," she said. "That's how the wallet layer should work."In her framing, the wallet layer should behave as settlement infrastructure that the broker or fintech deploys to own the customer relationship, while Para provides the tooling underneath. "The fintech, vendor, or brokerage can own the customer relationship. They own the experience, the brand, and the trust," she said. "Our job is to provide the tools to do so; make the exchange smooth, secure, and customizable."The contrast she draws is with consumer-facing wallets like MetaMask, which she acknowledges is "becoming almost like a Revolut for crypto." Para, she argues, is building the opposite: infrastructure that never surfaces to the end user.Portability and the End of the Captive ClientOne of the more pointed questions facing retail brokers is what happens to the captive client relationship if wallets become portable financial identities, allowing users to move assets freely between platforms. Subramanian does not dispute that portability changes the dynamics. She argues it simply raises the competitive bar."Historically, a lot of financial relationships have been sticky because it's been hard for clients to move, but that's changing everywhere, not just in crypto," she said. "We've already seen this with neobanks and even earlier with credit cards." Her conclusion is direct: "The 'captive client relationship' may disappear, but that simply shifts the competition toward who can offer the best service."For CFD brokers accustomed to retaining clients through switching friction rather than product quality, the implication is clear. A parallel argument has come from the DeFi side of the market: the CEO of onchain perpetuals platform Ostium previously told FinanceMagnates.com that the global CFD broker market faces DeFi disruption within five years, a timeline that Subramanian's comments on infrastructure readiness appear to support.Multi-Asset Expansion and the Single Account FrameworkFor CFD brokers weighing whether to add onchain assets to their stack, the question is not only regulatory but architectural. Running trading, payments, and tokenized assets on separate systems compounds complexity rapidly, Subramanian argues. The wallet layer, as she describes it, solves this by creating a unified account framework across asset classes."Multi-asset expansion will become complicated when each product runs on a separate system," she said. "However, when identity, custody, permissions, and settlement sit in one place, this doesn't need to be the case. When every transaction and every asset moves through the same permissioned wallet layer, adding new asset classes just extends the system rather than fragmenting it."The backdrop here is concrete. Robinhood and eToro launched stock tokens in 2025, and CMC Markets has signaled a tokenized asset and DeFi hybrid offering. GCEX has added tokenized gold products from Paxos and Tether alongside traditional CFD equivalents, while Interactive Brokers has moved to let clients hold and trade crypto without liquidating their existing positions. The infrastructure question Subramanian describes is already being answered, whether individual brokers acknowledge it or not, by the pace of their own competitors' product decisions.Regulation, MPC, and the Custody Dividing LinePara uses multi-party computation (MPC) for key management, which means the company itself cannot freeze user funds. For a regulated CFD broker operating under FCA or CySEC rules, the idea that no single party holds custody could sound either flexible or deeply uncomfortable, depending on the compliance team doing the reading.Subramanian translates the technical structure into regulatory language. "Para's MPC model means the wallet is owned by the user, not by Para," she said. "What we provide instead is a policy and permissioning layer that regulated platforms can configure." Brokers can use that layer to apply transaction limits, destination restrictions, additional authentication requirements, and integrations with existing KYC and onchain monitoring tools. The regulated entity, she says, still defines the rules; Para simply provides the infrastructure those rules run on.The SEC's earlier position this year, drawing a clearer line between genuine asset ownership and synthetic exposure, adds another dimension to the custody conversation. "As regulators draw a clearer distinction between genuine ownership and synthetic exposure, custody will increasingly become a competitive differentiator," Subramanian said. When tokenized stocks, CFDs, and onchain equities all claim to offer the same exposure, she expects institutions, compliance teams, and retail users to start asking a simple question: "Do I actually own the asset, or do I just have a claim on someone else?"Devconnect and the End of the Onboarding ObjectionPara's work with the Ethereum Foundation at Devconnect 2025 is the piece of evidence Subramanian leans on hardest when addressing broker hesitation. Roughly 10,000 wallets were created at the event using only an email address, by attendees who had little or no prior crypto experience. The demonstration, in her view, removes the most persistent objection brokers have used to avoid adding onchain assets."When someone creates a wallet with just their email and never has to think about what's underneath, the experience becomes indistinguishable from opening a standard account anywhere," she said. "Seed phrases, gas fees, wallet addresses: none of that belongs in a retail brokerage flow." The REST API launched in February 2026 extends that logic to existing financial platforms, addressing a concern that Finance Magnates has previously examined: the difficulty of integrating native crypto infrastructure into regulated brokerage products.Her conclusion is blunt: "The 'our clients won't understand it' objection is gone. Financial services can start building for the future now, whilst regulations catch up."Who Wins the Wallet Layer RaceAsked whether legacy brokers retrofitting for onchain, or crypto exchanges expanding outward, are better positioned to capture the wallet infrastructure opportunity, Subramanian pushes back on the framing. "I don't think there's any distinction between a 300-year-old bank moving onchain and last week's Silicon Valley startup; the tools are already there for both," she said.There is, however, a clear dividing line in her view: it runs between those who understand where financial infrastructure is heading and those who do not. "The future of finance is clearly onchain; it's those who understand that who are best positioned to win, and those who don't who will be left behind." This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

XTB opened its second Dubai office in March 2025, secured a CMA license, renewed its DFSA authorization, and called the Gulf a long-term growth pillar. Within 12 months, Iranian strikes hit UAE soil, both Abu Dhabi and Dubai stock exchanges suspended trading for the first time in their histories, and Brent crude moved 13% in a session. The expansion thesis was either well-constructed or it was premature. What happened in early 2026 was designed, unintentionally, to find out which.The full interview with Achraf Drid, Branch Director at XTB MENA, is available exclusively on FM Intelligence.Drid sat down to address that question directly, and his answers say as much about how brokers are absorbing the Gulf shock as they do about XTB specifically. The crisis exposed a structural divide in the Dubai broker community that had been forming quietly since 2023, between firms that kept regulatory fallback options intact and those that surrendered them entirely for the Emirates.The Week the UAE Went DarkThe UAE Capital Markets Authority halted both exchanges on March 2, with trading resuming on March 4 under new price-limit controls. Drid described the closure as "a well-considered regulatory decision by the UAE CMA to protect market stability," a framing consistent with the regulator's own public language at the time. What he did not describe in detail was what the preceding 72 hours looked like from inside a risk desk.Energy and precious metals moved sharply throughout the closure. Gold reached $5,390 per ounce, EU natural gas climbed 38% in a single session, and Hormuz disruption fears sent oil above $82 per barrel. XTB's CFD operations continued throughout, and Drid said the firm's risk management processes "are designed to handle" that kind of volatility. He did not say whether any negative balance protection events were triggered when oil gapped between Friday's close and Sunday's open, a specific pressure point for brokers with concentrated energy exposure during the same period.That gap between what equity exchanges experienced and what derivatives desks managed is exactly what the stress test revealed: CFD infrastructure in Dubai is not simply an equity market proxy. It is exposed to entirely different risks, and how firms handled the Hormuz weekend will become a reference point for years.Multi-License vs. All-In: The Architecture QuestionThe crisis landed hardest on brokers that had concentrated their regulatory structure entirely in the UAE. Several firms surrendered their European licenses over the past 18 months, drawn by the Gulf's tax environment, faster approvals, and regulator appetite for the retail sector. That decision now carries a cost that was not visible when conditions were stable.XTB kept its multi-jurisdictional structure intact. Drid said it "has always been central to how we operate" and described it as a source of resilience "when conditions change." He declined to characterize what competitors lost by going all-in, but the implication is direct: a firm with regulatory presence across multiple frameworks is harder to strand by a single country's government decision. XTB's sale of its FSCA-licensed South African unit, which had no active operations for five years, shows the other side of the same logic. The firm holds licenses where business justifies them and exits where it does not, rather than concentrating exposure in a single jurisdiction.The MENA client profile, Drid noted, already differs from XTB's European base in ways that make the region commercially distinct: higher average deposits and higher trading frequency than European peers. Whether those characteristics persist "depends on macro conditions and the continued development of the regulatory and market infrastructure," he said, adding that "participation rates can fluctuate materially during stress periods."Prop Firms Added Pressure Before the Crisis HitThe geopolitical shock arrived on top of a separate competitive development that had been building since late 2025. Prop trading firms were already flooding into the Gulf before February 28, drawn by return-on-ad-spend figures that Finance Magnates reported can reach 12 times investment in MENA, against roughly 3 times in the United States. Three firms announced GCC expansion plans from the iFX EXPO Dubai stage in February alone, days before the strikes.Drid said XTB does not view prop firms as direct competitors, arguing the two models "serve fundamentally different client needs." He acknowledged the broader signal, though: "The growth of prop models can be viewed as a demand signal," he said, while adding that high marketing intensity in the sector "sits outside the protections that apply to regulated brokerages." The long-term viability of that prop wave is itself under scrutiny, with industry data showing that a significant share of prop firms launched in the past three years have already exited. The crisis did not help them: firms without robust risk infrastructure and without regulated client protections faced the Hormuz volatility with fewer tools than their licensed counterparts.Where Growth Is Still PossibleOn the regional map, Drid was selective. The UAE holds the structural advantages: regulatory clarity under both the DFSA and CMA, established infrastructure, and a client base with the deposit profile to make the economics work. Saudi Arabia he described as "promising" but with a CFD licensing framework that "is still evolving." The firm is monitoring the market, he said, without committing to a timeline.That selective reading matters because it tells you something about where XTB is and is not prepared to deploy capital. The Gulf is not a single market. It is a collection of regulatory environments at different stages of maturity, and a firm running a two-million-client global target cannot afford to treat them as interchangeable. XTB added 864,286 clients globally in 2025, a 73% rise from the prior year. Chief Executive Omar Arnaout has described two million new clients annually as "completely realistic" within a few years, comparing the firm's ambition to Amazon's model in e-commerce.The Bet, ReassessedDrid said MENA is "a core part of XTB's growth strategy" and has the potential to become "one of the important contributors to our global client acquisition." "The recent events have reinforced the importance of providing resilient services for our clients, with local leadership and strong regulatory frameworks," he said. For a firm that committed to the UAE with a second office just 12 months ago, that is precisely what it needed the crisis to confirm. Whether the infrastructure held up as well as the conviction is a question the industry is still answering. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Dynamic Works hires ex‑ATFX, Axi exec as GCC managerDynamic Works appointed Ramy Abouzaid as Regional Manager for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region as it expands its footprint in the Middle East. The company develops Syntellicore, a brokerage technology ecosystem used by FX and CFD brokers to support client management and trading operations.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Abouzaid brings experience from the retail trading industry, having previously held senior roles at ATFX, Alpari, and Axi. His background spans commercial strategy and operational execution in brokerage businesses.Learn more about Dynamic Works' appointment of Ramy Abouzaid as Regional Manager for GCC.Ex-New Zealand PM to chair Airwallex’s NZ boardIn the fintech space, Airwallex named former New Zealand Prime Minister and Finance Minister Sir Bill English as Chair of its New Zealand board. The fintech entered the New Zealand market in 2023 and now supports more than 1,000 local firms, handling about NZ$2.4 billion in annual payment flows with reported year-on-year growth of 240%.English joins as an independent director, bringing experience in economic policy and international trade. He said Airwallex plays an important role in helping New Zealand exporters and technology companies operate on a global scale.Show more about the appointment of Bill English to Airwallex Board.Spotware, Xoala alum Andrew Mreana joins VIP360Payments and fintech specialist Andrew Mreana, who most recently led growth at London-based neobank Xoala, joined VIP360 Payments as Head of Commercial Growth. In this role, he is responsible for driving commercial expansion across banking, payments and global merchant operations.His mandate is to help businesses manage payments by working with appropriate partners and financial structures. Mreana has described the goal of the role as unlocking “real value” for merchants in how they organize their banking and payment processes.Disclose more about Andrew Mreana's move to VIP360.Former AxiCorp financial control head joins TaurexAlso this week, Robbie Ensor took on the role of Finance Director at Taurex. His appointment follows the broker’s recent move to reappoint Matthew Wright as a Non-Executive Director, nearly three years after Wright left for Exinity and after previously serving on the board during the Zenfinex phase in a non-executive capacity.Ensor joins Taurex after more than three and a half years at loveholidays, where he most recently served as Group Financial Controller for over two years, following just over a year as Head of Financial Reporting & Control. Display more about Robbie Ensor's hire to a new role of Finance Director at Taurex.CMC Markets names Emma Earp to boardFinally, CMC Markets enlisted Emma Earp, a banking and finance partner at law firm Foot Anstey LLP, as a non-executive director of the London-listed online trading company. The appointment will take effect on 1 April 2026.Earp will also join the Audit, Nomination, Remuneration and Risk Committees when she takes up the role. This gives her wide oversight across CMC Markets’ governance and board committees from the start.Highlight more about CMC Markets' naming of Emma Earp to board. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Revolut brings CFD tradingRevolut quietly rolled out contracts for difference (CFD) trading to “active traders” in 29 countries, including several across Europe. This follows an earlier pilot in just three EU markets — the Czech Republic, Denmark and Greece — and comes on the heels of the fintech giant securing a full UK banking license.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Finance Magnates verified that European users can now find CFDs inside the Revolut app under the Investment tab, alongside the company’s separate CFD-focused platform, Revolut Invest. In Europe, these products are offered via Revolut’s Lithuanian entity, which operates under a MiFID II license, giving the firm a regulatory framework to market leveraged CFD products across multiple EU jurisdictions.Revolut’s latest numbers look strong. The fintech giant said it made a pretax profit of £1.7 billion last year, a 57% jump from £1.09 billion the year before. It credits the performance to adding more customers and earning money from a wider mix of products. Revenue climbed to £4.5 billion ($6 billion), up 46% from £3.1 billion in 2024 and above the £4.2 billion average forecast from Bloomberg analysts. BlackBull kicks off IPO roadshowIn the CFD space, firms are eying avenues for growth. Auckland-based BlackBull Markets is considering a dual listing on both the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX). According to the Australian Financial Review, the company has appointed Barrenjoey Capital Partners, UBS, and Forsyth Barr to organize a non-deal roadshow.The move comes after company founders presented to investors in Sydney this week, sources at the meeting said. In its investor presentation, BlackBull reported revenue of NZ$108 million (about A$90 million) over the past year, with EBITDA of NZ$55 million and net profit of NZ$38 million. The company’s materials also indicated an EBITDA margin above 50%, underscoring its strong profitability.Capital.com eyes MAS LicenseCapital.com is expanding, with plans to obtain licenses across several jurisdiction. It advertised for a senior Risk Manager role in Singapore. The broker also noted that is seeking a South African license in December and is exploring additional licenses in several other markets.Early this year, Capital.com entered the African market after securing a license from Kenya’s regulator, allowing it to operate as a local Dealing Online Foreign Exchange Broker and offer online forex and trading services to clients in the country.How Singapore’s VCC attracts European moneyElsewhere, Singapore is strengthening its position as Asia's leading fund domicile by promoting an onshore alternative to traditional offshore fund structures for managers and investors. A key part of this effort is the variable capital company (VCC), its main flexible corporate structure for investment funds. Introduced in January 2020, the VCC is regulated by both the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority and the Monetary Authority of Singapore. It can be used for open-ended or closed-ended funds and offers flexible share issuance and redemption, as well as capital-based dividends.XTB sells inactive South Africa unitNot everyone is expanding. XTB agreed to sell its South African subsidiary for 645,000 dollars, ending an eight‑year effort to enter the African market that never properly started. The broker said in its 2025 annual report that it signed a conditional deal on 17 February 2026 to sell 100% of XTB Africa PTY Ltd. to an unnamed buyer, and that the sale still needs approval from South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority. The report explains that the South African company received its FSCA licence in August 2021 but never began serving clients. XTB said it is selling the unit because it “did not commence operational activities” and did not give any further reasons.AETOS owners exit CFD business with Aussie saleAt the same time, the owners of AETOS sold their last remaining Australian operation to Dynamic Fintech Solutions, an Australian fintech firm, completing their exit from the CFDs business. Until the sale, the AETOS Australia unit was largely controlled by Chinese online entrepreneur Yongqiang Lu, but the new owner has now taken full control of its operations and assets. The parties did not disclose the financial details of the deal. However, the sale includes AETOS AU’s corporate entity, its Australian Financial Services (AFS) licence, and all related financial services and operational activities run under that entity.Prediction markets boom as trust push continuesIn the prediction markets, the industry has had a rough spell recently. One of the most disturbing episodes involved reports of traders placing big bets on the timing of a possible nuclear strike linked to the conflict between the US and Iran, which badly damaged the sector’s image. In response, platforms have rolled out different steps to rebuild trust and show they are not turning a blind eye to abuse.Tradermayne: Polymarket Just Partnered With Palantir And It Is A Massive Deal."This is a massive partnership here between Polymarket between Palantir. Obviously, the move towards more regulations. They're gonna be working with Palantir's ability to detect data integrity using… pic.twitter.com/9BVp6VUzEY— The Order Book (@OrderBookShow) March 17, 2026As previously reported by Finance Magnates, they are trying to prove that users cannot profit from insider information, whether it comes from military circles or casual locker-room chatter.IG eyes prediction marketsMeanwhile, IG Group is actively exploring prediction markets. During the recent earnings call, CEO Breon Corcoran said the company has discussed them before and described prediction markets as essentially a new label for what used to be binary options in Europe or products on European betting exchanges. He added that IG already has capability and intellectual property in this area but has not yet launched a product. The group is also using this work to sharpen its focus on crypto as part of a broader push to diversify revenue. IG’s Chief Financial Officer, Clifford Abrahams, noted on the call that while crypto revenue is still at an early stage, crypto trading brought in around 4 percent of group net trading revenue in 2025.US bill on sports prediction contracts clouds brokersDespite the prediction markets boom, regulations are tightening. A group of U.S. senators has introduced a bill that would bar federally regulated prediction markets from offering contracts tied to sports events, according to the Wall Street Journal. The move has raised new questions about how these sports-related contracts should be overseen and which regulators should be in charge. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, and John Curtis, a Republican from Utah. It would change the law so that sports-related contracts are no longer under the authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, shifting them instead to state-level oversight.IGA statement: The Indian Gaming Association welcomes the introduction of the “Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act” @RWW pic.twitter.com/IBKM0rHYiI— Suswati Basu (@suswatibasu) March 23, 2026Elsewhere, the latest move is the Indian Gaming Association’s support for a bipartisan Senate bill that would bar federally regulated platforms from offering contracts linked to sporting events and casino-style outcomes.What prop firms must do to survive 2026Between 80 and 100 prop trading firms shut down in 2024, and that shake-out continued into 2025. Out of 376 prop firms tracked in one industry database, 84 were no longer active and another 30 showed no signs of operation, implying that roughly a third of the market disappeared in less than two years.The prop trading business has moved beyond its early “gold rush” phase into a more mature stage where growth demands a full strategy rather than quick wins. Firms can no longer rely on simply picking the cheapest advertising channels or low cost-per-acquisition markets and instead need far more groundwork across compliance, payments, marketing, and operations to grow sustainably.Retail wants oil perps but crypto venues are behindA sharp oil rally in recent weeks has shown that major crypto exchanges are slow to launch new derivatives, according to TradingView Chief Growth Officer Rauan Khassan. He noted that only a few of the top‑10 crypto venues offered oil perpetuals even as prices were surging. As a result, newer platforms have been quicker to react. Khassan pointed out that venues such as Polymarket and Hyperliquid moved first to list oil‑linked perpetual products.Retail cools on AI stocks as gold soarsRetail investors are becoming more cautious about AI stocks and the so‑called Magnificent 7 tech names, while increasing their holdings in commodities to the highest level in almost three years, according to a quarterly survey by eToro. The poll covered 11,000 retail investors in 13 countries and was carried out between February 12 and 27. In the latest results, 43% of respondents said they expect AI‑related stocks to rise in 2026, down from 52% in the previous quarter. The share who think the Magnificent 7 will outperform the broader market also fell, to 40% from 47% in the prior survey. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, has invested an additional $600 million in prediction market platform Polymarket, bringing its total stake to approximately $1.6 billion.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!) The investment comes as prediction markets face increasing scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and state regulators, particularly around sports-related contracts and their classification under existing gambling and derivatives frameworks. Investment Moves Ahead of Regulatory Clarity The decision to complete the investment follows ICE’s earlier commitment in October 2025 to invest up to $2 billion in Polymarket, as part of a broader push by established financial institutions into prediction markets. It highlights how some market infrastructure providers are approaching the sector: increasing exposure while regulatory questions remain unresolved. In parallel with ICE’s investment, policymakers have introduced bipartisan legislation to restrict certain types of event contracts, and several states have taken legal or administrative action against platforms operating in this space. At the same time, Polymarket is working to establish a U.S.-regulated entity that would operate under Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) oversight.Positioning Within Market Infrastructure For ICE, the investment expands its presence in a segment that sits between financial markets and event-based trading. Rather than launching its own platform, the company is taking an equity position in an existing operator, while Polymarket develops pathways toward regulatory alignment and broader institutional access. ICE is also expanding its role beyond investment. The company has launched a Polymarket Signals and Sentiment tool, packaging prediction market data into normalised analytics for institutional clients. This reflects a broader shift, with providers positioning prediction markets as a source of signals and sentiment for trading and risk workflows.The move contrasts with calls from some traditional exchange operators for tighter restrictions on prediction markets, highlighting differences in how incumbents are approaching the sector. This article was written by Tanya Chepkova at www.financemagnates.com.

The Autorité des Marchés Financiers has released an updated version of its active stock market investor dashboard, showing record participation by private individuals in 2025. The dashboard uses data provided by European financial service providers.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).Cross-Border Trades Drive Market GrowthNearly 2.5 million French residents executed at least one stock market transaction in 2025, the highest annual total since 2020. Of these, just over 1.9 million bought or sold shares, marking a 21% increase from 1.5 million in 2024. Over the 2021-2025 period, more than 3.8 million retail investors participated in equity markets. Over the past three years, a total of around 1.6 million new investors entered the French stock market.Retail investors carried out a total of 56 million equity transactions in 2025, up from 41 million in 2024. A growing share of these trades involved institutions based in European Union countries outside France, rising to 26% in 2025 from 18% the previous year. These cross-border trades accounted for 15% of the total equity amounts traded.ETF Activity SurgesTransactions in exchange-traded funds also grew sharply. More than 1.1 million French investors executed at least one ETF transaction in 2025, up 83% from 607,000 in 2024. Over the past five years, the number of ETF investors increased nearly fivefold, from 223,000 in 2020.The AMF recorded 14.4 million ETF transactions in 2025, more than double the 6 million recorded in 2024. Nearly 47% of the trades were executed through EU-based institutions outside France, up from 23% in 2024. These cross-border ETF transactions represented 20% of the total amounts traded in ETFs.New and Younger InvestorsThe French stock market saw 1.6 million new investors over the past three years. In 2025, 780,000 individuals entered the market for the first time since 2018, compared with 516,000 in 2024 and 329,000 in 2023.For both equities and ETFs, most new investors used EU-based institutions outside France. In 2025, 61% of new equity investors and 49% of new ETF investors traded through these providers. They accounted for 14% of the amounts invested in equities and 24% of amounts invested in ETFs by new investors.The AMF also noted a decrease in the average age of investors. Equity investors’ average age fell from 51 in the last quarter of 2024 to 48 in the same quarter of 2025. ETF investors’ average age declined from 41 to 38.Expanded Dashboard ScopeThe updated dashboard now includes French investors using investment service providers based elsewhere in the EU to trade instruments under AMF jurisdiction on French markets. It separates retail investors into two categories: those trading with French-based service providers, and those trading AMF-jurisdiction instruments with EU-based providers outside France.The AMF said the enhancements aim to provide a more complete picture of retail investor activity across domestic and cross-border markets. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

FTMO founders Otakar Šuffner and Marek Vašíček have taken on co‑CEO roles at OANDA following discussions with Gavin Bambury, who will step down from the position. FTMO described Bambury’s leadership as “outstanding” and said the foundations he helped build “played a key role in OANDA’s successes and made the company an attractive acquisition target for FTMO.”Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).The leadership change follows FTMO’s acquisition of OANDA. The companies said the deal and leadership arrangements were part of discussions about their future direction.OANDA, FTMO Continue Independent Organizational StructuresFTMO and OANDA will continue to operate as separate entities. Both firms stated that all other operations and teams in each country “remain otherwise unchanged.” The leadership change does not alter the broader operational structure of either company.OANDA, founded in 1996, is an online forex and CFD broker with operations in multiple countries. FTMO, established in 2015, is known primarily for its proprietary trading programs and global trading community.OANDA Prop Trader Moves to FTMOOANDA’s proprietary trading business, OANDA Prop Trader, will transition into the FTMO Group. The migration began on March 2, 2026, and clients moving to FTMO’s platform will gain access to its trading infrastructure. Those who choose not to migrate will receive full refunds where applicable, and selected clients will receive additional incentives. The transition allows OANDA to focus on its core brokerage operations while providing Prop Trader clients with a dedicated trading environment.OANDA offers multi-asset trading for retail and corporate clients and operates in major financial centers including New York, London, and Tokyo. Under CVC ownership since 2018, the company expanded its product offerings and trading infrastructure. FTMO is primarily known for its proprietary trading programs and global trading community.FTMO recently expanded into the Indian market, where interest in prop trading has been increasing. Several prop trading firms, including FundingPips, The5ers, FundedNext, and Maven, report that India accounts for a substantial portion of their web traffic, representing roughly 40 per cent of organic traffic among the top 50 prop firms. Interest in prop trading has grown since 2023, particularly among individuals aged 18 to 30. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

CFD broker STARTRADER has rolled out 24/5 trading for 20 of the most traded US stocks, giving clients access to markets beyond standard exchange hours. The new instruments, marked with a “.24H” suffix under a dedicated US.24H group, are now available on the broker’s trading platforms.The firm joins other CFD brokers, such as Pepperstone, IG, BlackBull Markets and Deriv that have also rolled out 24/5 US share CFD trading in the past couple of years. Similar 24/5 US equity access is already available at platforms such as Robinhood, Webull and Charles Schwab’s thinkorswim.Flexible Options and Regulated AccessAccording to the company, the latest move responds to growing demand for extended equity trading, following similar developments across major exchanges and digital asset platforms. Nasdaq has indicated plansfor 24/5 trading in the future, as global investors seek continuous access to US markets.Keep reading: FX Traders Have 24/5 Market Access, but Is Round-the-Clock Trading Good for Stocks?According to STARTRADER Chief Executive Peter Karsten, the approach aims to provide options that suit different trading needs within a regulated environment.Brokers and exchanges are extending trading hours because client behaviour is shifting toward “always-on” markets, even if most volume still concentrates in the core session. Investors who grew used to crypto and digital platforms now expect to react to news, earnings and macro releases in real time, including from outside the US, where time zones make regular Wall Street hours less convenient. Data from Capital.com and eToro show that pre- and post-market activity has risen sharply, with up to 40% of some platforms’ retail clients trading outside the main session and roughly one‑third of eToro’s December 2025 stock volume occurring in extended hours.Always-On Traders Push Brokers to Stretch Market HoursEarly this year, eToro also expanded its 24/5 offering by enabling round-the-clock weekday trading on a select group of Smart Portfolios, including BigTech, Four-Horsemen, Magnificent-7 and Buybacks. The move built on its earlier step into extended-hours access for US-listed stocks and aimed to give users more flexibility in managing those themed baskets from Sunday evening through to the Friday close.Robinhood offers a “24 Hour Market” on select US stocks and ETFs from Sunday evening to Friday evening. Webull has rolled out 24‑hour US stock and ETF trading in key markets, including popular names like Tesla and Nvidia. Charles Schwab (via thinkorswim) provides 24/5 trading on more than 1,100 US stocks and ETFs, including all S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow 30 constituents. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

The Cyprus Diaspora Forum 2026 is delighted to invite senior year students from schools across Cyprus to participate in a unique educational workshop taking place on Friday, 8 May 2026, at the AMARA Hotel in Limassol. As part of the Forum’s educational programme, the workshop will bring together world-renowned mentors, researchers, pioneers, scientists, innovators, and business leaders from the global Cypriot diaspora. Led by Dr. Antigoni Komodiki, CEO of Junior Achievement (JA) Cyprus and a member of JA Worldwide, the workshop ‘Shaping Tomorrow Together: Youth Meets Industry’ will engage young talent in interactive discussions on the future of work, entrepreneurship, and career readiness. Participants will exchange perspectives, challenge assumptions, and explore what success means in a rapidly evolving world. The workshop offers a valuable opportunity for students to gain real-world insights, practical advice, and inspiration from experienced professionals across diverse fields, including science, research, innovation, clean energy, finance, communications, sustainable design, and entrepreneurship. Industry leaders will also gain a deeper understanding of the aspirations and potential of the next generation. Together, they will co-create ideas on how education, businesses, and individuals can adapt to future challenges. Attendees will benefit from meaningful networking, fresh perspectives, and actionable takeaways on skills, opportunities, and innovation. Whether you are a young person shaping your path or a professional seeking to give back, this session promises engaging and impactful conversations. Please note: Attendance is strictly by reservation only as seats are limited. Schools may attend with a group of ten senior students and two teachers, and refreshments and snacks will be provided. Please note that a minimal participation cost applies. This is a unique opportunity for students to gain inspiration, knowledge, and mentorship from leading figures of the global Cypriot community. Schools interested in participating are encouraged to reserve their places as soon as possible. For further details and to secure a reservation, please contact Niki Charalambous at (+357) 96239985 or via email at cyprusdiasporaforum@gmail.com. For more information, visit: www.cyprusdiasporaforum.com This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has fined Dinosaur Merchant Bank Limited (DMBL) £338,000 for failing to implement effective systems to detect and report suspicious trading in its contracts for difference business.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).The fine comes amid broader regulatory developments in the UK CFD sector. A Finance Magnates Intelligence analysis highlights overlapping requirements for UK CFD brokers, including rules for reporting operational incidents and third-party disruptions through a single portal. The report also notes other emerging compliance obligations that collectively increase the sector’s regulatory burden.FCA Flags DMBL’s Missed CFD TradesIn June 2024, DMBL launched a new order system. This led to a significant rise in CFD trading on its platform. Between June and October 2024, clients executed trades worth approximately $3.05 billion. The FCA found that these trades were not captured or reviewed by DMBL’s automated surveillance system, meaning potential market abuse could have gone undetected.DMBL identified the issue in October 2024 but did not fully address the deficiencies until May 2025. The regulator said the delay restricted the firm’s ability to detect and report potentially suspicious trades.FCA Reduces DMBL Fine Thirty PercentSteve Smart, joint executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said: “DMBL’s failures had the potential to undermine the integrity of the market. Firms must ensure they have effective surveillance arrangements in place. We will continue to take action where this is not the case.”DMBL cooperated fully with the FCA investigation and qualified for a 30% discount on the fine. Without this reduction, the penalty would have been £482,900. A spokesperson for DMBL said: “We worked constructively with the FCA to resolve this historical matter. During 2025 [May], DMBL ceased CFD operations and implemented improvements across the firm which addressed the FCA’s concerns.”FCA Plans Faster CFD Oversight ToolsThe FCA plans to expand its use of artificial intelligence and data tools in 2026/27 to support supervision of higher-risk retail segments, including CFDs. The regulator is developing new authorisation systems, simplifying reporting, and expanding its sandbox for AI testing. Additional measures include fee adjustments, updates to the My FCA platform, and enhanced monitoring of financial crime and consumer harm. The programme aims to improve efficiency, risk detection, and regulatory consistency. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.